On Shabbat day, October 6th, 1973, in the middle of Yom Kippur, the armies of Egypt and Syria began a surprise attack against the State of Israel. The 679 Reserve Armored Brigade was called up to the Yiftach base near Rosh Pina, and on Sunday morning sent its first units up to the Golan. The force, consisting of 25 tanks commanded by Brigade Commander Ori Orr, and battalion commanders Moshe Harel and Raful Shefer, drove past Nafach and took position to the north and south of the Kinneret Valley, in order to pre-empt the Syrian army from the east.
